“Not bad kid, you pass the requirements to join us but if you can, try not to get in anyone’s way on the trip if we are attacked. You might have a decent cultivation level for your age, but everyone else far surpasses you in combat experience. Since we might be dealing with bandits, that should be even more of a reason for you to stay hidden.”
After placing his cultivation level and name down on the sign up sheet, the assistant to the caravan owner gave He Chao some pointers. There was no way to tell how much combat experience a cultivator had, but since He Chao was only thirteen years old, it would be very abnormal for him to have anywhere close to the same amount of experience compared to those in their late twenties who were the bulk of those who were signed up.
“Actually, it would probably be a good idea for you to watch over the section that is holding a special VIP member. They are similar to you, as in their cultivation and age are low so you would be a good fit as a last line of defense for making sure that she does not get harmed. Not only that, but I can offer you two hundred gold pieces once we enter into the Ancient Mountain Commandery for a mission completed.”
He Chao was caught off guard at this suggestion, but he could only agree since it would mean he would not be forced to enter into an unwanted battle against bandits or even possibly some demon beasts. Not only that, but it would give him the chance to meet this so-called VIP member who was also around his age. Since he did not need to show off his skills, there was no reason for him to draw unwanted attention towards himself.
He was also able to pick up on the fact that two soldiers were hidden nearby and keeping an eye on him. There was no reason for him to feel strange since the General seemed to have let him and Wei Yan go without any resistance. However, the two following him would more than likely act against him if he were to unleash his full strength that was a tier higher compared to others of the same cultivation level.
And so after making all of the arrangements he needed to such as buying and storing some perishable food, buying some basic body armor that blended well with his normal clothes, and even some basic items that he could work on for a profit, He Chao was now ready to head outside of the city to meet with the rest of the caravan and those who also signed up.
To his surprise, the owner of the caravan had many carts that were all filled with experts while the one in the middle looked to resemble more of a specialty carriage. In total from what he could personally sense, there were twenty five experts of the Elementary stage, four experts of the Intermediate stage, and one expert of the Adept stage of cultivation while there was a mysteriously dressed figure that’s cultivation stage was something that He Chao was unable to sense.
Living in the forest and fighting an almost countless amount of demon beasts, He Chao’s senses and ability to understand the strength of those nearby was something that could be said to be perfected for a cultivator still of the Elementary stage. It would be nearly impossible for an Elementary stage cultivator to properly sense a Master stage cultivator if the more powerful cultivator did not want to be found out.
Even the most notorious bandit group within the Commandery did not surpass the current number of experts within this caravan by much, and the one bandit group that had a Master stage cultivator was not located nearby so the chances of this mysterious expert being unable to handle such issues themselves was not impossible which made He Chao feel a slight relief.
The only way that the caravan would be in trouble, would be if several bandit groups merged together to form a single entity. Something like this was actually very rare because once a group became strong enough, enemies of the entire empire would soak them up into their own organizations. This rule of thumb made it clear that a bandit group was considered not very organized unless they were ranked the top three groups throughout the world.
Sitting on the small cart directly connected with the carriage, He Chao made himself rather comfortable as he began to close his eyes to cultivate. He was not worried about any danger befalling the caravan so close to the city, so it was wise to use this time to train and mentally prepare himself for the journey ahead.
The owner of the caravan promised the entire group of experts that the traveling time would only take about a month which would give He Chao just under a month after that to arrive to take the entrance exam for the school. If he had to, he would assist the experts in defeating anyone who wished to slow them down, but with the two soldiers still tailing him, he felt uncomfortable about showing even the slightest amount of strength.
Soon after he began cultivating silently to himself, the caravan began to head out towards the Ancient Mountain Commandery. Some of the stronger experts chose to remain walking alongside the line of crates since it was obvious if they were to be attacked, the attackers would aim to steal as many crates as possible.
These same experts who chose to guard the caravan more closely, were of course paid a small amount by the owner and promised potential employment if the caravan made it to its destination. This went to show how much gold pieces worth of items and resources were kept in these crates for transport.
Both caravans and merchants were known to recruit strong experts for security purposes to protect themselves or esteemed guests. Many commoners who did not have a skillset other than having a decent cultivation level would try to fight for employment even for smaller employers in a way to help their families live a better life.
